"The Episcopal Church Has A Life" - 2

The article by Fr. Tom Ehrich, which I removed from my blog, because it was available only through purchase is now available at the IndyStar:

Now that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has slapped my church's wrists for refusing to marginalize gays and has threatened to have us become second-class citizens in the Anglican Communion, I say this to Archbishop Williams:

The Episcopal Church has a life. Not a perfect life. In fact, a messy one, a life that could be more than it is. But we do have a life.

That life preceded the formation of the Anglican Communion. That life will survive our being marginalized within the Anglican Communion.
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If it's any consolation, Archbishop, I don't like some of the changes in my church, either. I think we have rewarded institutional tinkering and stopped dreaming. We depend on style and not substance. We worry about inherited property and not about the world outside our doors. We fuss about who is ordained when we should be nurturing healthy congregations.

Fear abounds. Fear of offending longtime members and deep-pocket givers. Fear of speaking freely and dreaming grandly. Fear of trying hard and maybe failing. Fear of preaching a Gospel more radical than anything we've said.

But many are determined to get beyond fear -- by taking one brave step at a time, learning to be nimble and to listen, learning from our failures, taking risks.

The dilemma facing Episcopalians is that "soon, and very soon we are going to see the King." Our buildings may crumble, our endowments may tumble, and all we have left is each other and our faith.
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I think our best days lie ahead. I doubt that our future will bear much resemblance to our past. But we will discover, once the burden of inherited overhead is lifted, that we have much to give.

And so, Archbishop, rather than try to stir even more fear in a church struggling with fear, I suggest you join Jesus in the commandment he actually did give: "Do not be afraid."

The article is very good. I'm pleased that all may read it now. For what it's worth, I agree with Fr. Tom that our best days lie ahead. We will be forced to get back to the basics of Christianity.

As I said in the comments at Fr. Jake's:

Does schism concern me? Somewhat. But I won't mourn what Rowan Williams wants to make of the Anglican Communion.
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But I see communion in the form of relationships continuing, with or without the top-heavy structures, and perhaps the communion will be the better for it. I hope that we in TEC take special care to maintain relationships with fellow Christians in countries where the people are poor and even destitute.

In the long term, I see the decline in the mainline denominations continuing until the time for the death of the church, as we know it, arrives. Perhaps we'll see merging of denominations, which could be a good thing. I see hard financial times ahead.

But none of this causes me to despair, because the church, the Body of Christ, the Kingdom of God on earth, will surely prevail. I envision the model for the church resembling the very early years of the Christian church.

Thanks to Ann for the new link.